DELAWARE, Ohio – Rachel Robinson has been given Ohio Wesleyan University's Branch Rickey Award for her contribution and commitment to equality.
The widow of Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson is the founder of The Jackie Robinson Foundation, which provides college scholarships to disadvantaged minorities.
Rickey was the first executive to break baseball's color barrier by signing Jackie Robinson to a contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. The 1904 Ohio Wesleyan graduate also is in the Hall of Fame.
Rachel Robinson was unable to attend the ceremony at the school Thursday, but taped a message calling Rickey and her husband an example of what can be accomplished when we "trust each other and fight together."
The award is being renamed the Branch Rickey-Jackie Robinson Award.
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